Where do you advertise when you want to reach everybody? Transit
advertising--placement of print ads on buses and other vehicles and
in bus shelters and train stations--is an important medium for
reaching an audience of all ages, backgrounds and incomes. You are
not just addressing riders with these "moving
billboards." You are reaching families and professionals in
their vehicles, students shopping or right on campus, and tourists
finding their way around town.

Why use transit advertising?

You can't zap it.

You can't ignore it.

It can't be turned off like television.

It reaches drivers and passengers no matter what radio stations
they're listening to.

The large, colorful, innovative designs demand attention.

You have exclusivity in your space.

It delivers a varied audience.

It offers flexibility of ad size and location.

At one time, advertisers tended to shy away from internal
transit advertising because of the perception of who the bus rider
might be. Was the desired audience the person who could not afford
a car? Today, concern for the environment and the popularity of
programs such as Park-and-Ride have caused a wide range of business
professionals, teachers, college students, and many other types of
workers to leave their vehicles in mall parking lots and ride the
bus to and from their jobs. It saves them the often high cost of
parking and the wear-and-tear on their cars and provides them the
opportunity to review material for a morning meeting, study, or
just relax and gather their thoughts for the busy day ahead. The
cards displayed inside the bus reach passengers who spend an
average of 30-40 minutes on the bus . . . and your ad is there for
them to read the whole time.

Not only can you reach some very upscale customers on the inside
of the bus, but you can also reach a large variety of people by
advertising on the more traditional exterior signs. Available in
various shapes and sizes, exterior bus signs display advertising
messages to thousands of people in cars as well as pedestrians.
Buses travel through cities and outlying suburban areas, to
shopping malls, universities, business districts, amusement
centers, supermarkets, theaters and convention sites. Local
customers as well as visitors to your area will be exposed to your
large moving messages.

Types of Advertising

King and queen signs are located on the sides of transit
vehicles. They are the largest of the signs and are attached to the
bus with aluminum frames.

Tail signs are located on the rear of transit vehicles.
If you've ever been stuck behind a bus at a traffic light or in
a traffic jam, you know what the back of that bus says by the time
you start moving again.

Interior cards are smaller and are seen only by the
riders. They line the tops of the bus windows and include a sign
located on the divider behind the bus driver (behind the driver
sign). Some buses are assigned to school and college routes, so ask
your transit company if you can put your signs in those particular
buses to reach that younger audience.

You can buy all of the signs--inside and out--on one vehicle for
tremendous impact. These "super-buses" or
"mega-buses" can be fun buses to charter for special
events.

In the last few years it has become more popular than ever in
certain cities to "wrap" an entire bus with the theme of
a company, a product, a museum, even camouflage wrap for an Army
recruiting campaign. If it isn't all the rage in your city yet,
it's coming--so don't be afraid to be the first to wrap a
bus! These giant moving advertisements are impossible to miss and
are a lot of fun to look at. A bus wrap is an expensive proposition
and you will generally be required to sign a contract that will
keep you paying rent on your bus for a minimum of one year. But if
you have the budget and your company or product lends itself to the
size and shape of a bus, you can get a lot of mileage (no pun
intended) from this form of advertising. Discounts are available
for buying multiple signs and for multiple-month contracts.

Now, if you don't want to wrap an entire bus, you can
purchase one side and the back or one side and the front and share
the bus with another advertiser. You can also purchase just the
back or just the front of a bus.

Outdoor billboards and transit signs are very effective when
used together, whether it is a full outdoor billboard or repeating
your own store sign. The combination keeps some of your signs
anchored and some mobile for great coverage.

Designs and Schedules

When considering your design, treat the signs as moving
billboards. People won't have a chance to look at the message
for a long period of time, so use bright colors to attract
attention and simple ideas with just a few words for effective
transit advertising.

Whether you advertise in, on or all over the bus, you can
sometimes request that your bus travel on very specific routes or,
if your message has broad audience appeal, on many routes so as to
cover your maximum desired audience throughout your contract
period. Your bus company will provide you with a complete list of
routes.

If you plan on being a regular transit advertiser, speak to the
director of marketing at your local bus company about placing an ad
in the next batch of schedules printed. Schedules are usually
updated annually, so if you decide to do this, use a generic ad
that won't become outdated over that period of time.